Ergonomic Bottle Cap

ABSTRACT

The invention is an ergonomic bottle cap having a U-shaped support extending along opposite sides and across the top. The U-shaped support having a top fin across the top wall of the cap and two opposing side tabs extending from the top fin along the annular side wall of the cap. The side tabs integrally molded with the top fin and the cap.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to caps for plastic bottles namely water bottles and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bottled water has become a part of everyday live all over the world. The bottling of water is an answer to the need for safe potable water for people and animals. Bottled water production spans the market from basic bottled water for drinking to designer bottled water with flavors, vitamins and carbonation. The vast majority of bottled water is packaged in light weight clear plastic bottles with a screw on cap. To reduce the cost of producing, shipping and marketing bottled water, manufacturers have made the water bottles thinner and lighter. The cap on a plastic water bottle is generally a screw on cap usually having a tamper resistant ring disposed on the cap that engages the bottle to indicate that the bottle is unopened when a user opens the bottle.

As manufacturers develop bottles and caps with less plastic, and therefore less weight and less cost to make and ship, the cap has become smaller. As a result, the cap has become difficult for some people to open. People with hand problems or are young or old may have a hard time gripping the smaller cap to apply enough torque to break loose the tamper resistant ring and remove the cap.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a cap that can maintain the integrity to keep the bottle closed thus protecting the bottled water from contamination while providing gripping tools to allow a person with soft or weak hands to open the water bottle. The present invention provides a structural rib or fin on the outside of the cap to reinforce the structure of the cap while providing a gripping surface adapted to help the user apply more torque with less effort in attempting to remove the cap. The structural rib supports the body of the bottle cap by being integrally molded on the cap. The structural rib may extend along the sides of the cap in a U-shape. The structural rib may extend across the top of the cap where reinforcement of the thin material n the cap is subject to forces during manufacture and shipping.

The above description sets forth, rather broadly, the more important features of the present invention so that the detailed description of the preferred embodiment that follows may be better understood and contributions of the present invention to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and will form the subject matter of claims. In this respect, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the invention comprises an ergonomic bottle cap 10 comprising a fin 12, a first tab 14, a second tab 16 and a top wall 18. The ergonomic bottle cap 10 further comprises an annular sidewall 20 having a bottom 22 and a top 24. A tamper resistant ring 30 may be removably attached to sidewall bottom 22. The annular sidewall 20 integrally molded to the top wall 18 form a cap body 23 supported by fin 12 and tabs 14, 16. First tab 14 is integrally molded to fin 12 and annular sidewall 20. First tab 14 may have first bottom end 26 disposed adjacent sidewall bottom 22. Second tab 16 may have second bottom end 28 disposed adjacent sidewall bottom 22. First bottom end 26 is spaced from second bottom end 28.

Referring to FIG. 2, fin 12, first tab 14 and second tab 16 form an U-shaped appendage 42 over the top and along sides of ergonomic bottle cap 10. First tab bottom end 26 is disposed adjacent annular sidewall bottom 22. Second tab bottom 28 is disposed adjacent annular sidewall bottom 22. First tab bottom end 26 is spaced from second tab bottom end 28. First tab bottom end 26 and second tab bottom 28 may be disposed on opposing sides of annular sidewall 24. Tamper resistant ring 30 is removably attached to annular sidewall bottom 22. First tab top 32 may be integrally molded to fin 12 at rounded corner 58. Likewise, second tab top 34 may be formed integrally with fin 12 at rounded corner 60.

Referring to FIG. 3, ergonomic cap 10 with fin 12 on top wall 18 may extend to annular ring bottom 22. Fin 12 may comprise fin top 36 disposed spaced from top surface 18. Fin top 36 is raised above top surface 18. Second tab bottom 28 may extend along annular tab outer surface 38. Outer surface 38 may have raised ridges 40 to aid gipping the Ergonomic bottle cap 10.

Referring to FIG. 4, top wall 18 may further comprise outside surface 54. Fin 12 may be integrally molded to extend from outside surface 54. Cap logo image 34 may be disposed on outside surface 54. Cap logo image 34 may further be aligned with fin 12. In use, fin 12 may be used to index cap 10 so cap logo image 34 is oriented in a predetermined position. Annular sidewall 24 may have a diameter 36. Top 18 integrally molded to annular sidewall 24 may be circular with a diameter 38. Fin 12 may be disposed generally along diameter 38. Ridges 40 may extend from sidewall 24 to edge of top 18 be integral molding.

Referring to FIG. 5, top wall 18 may further comprise inside wall 52. Inside wall 52 is integrally connected to annular sidewall 20 at inside surface 50. Opening 46 is defined by annular sidewall bottom 22 making ergonomic bottle cap 10 a concave device having opening 46 on opposite end of annular sidewall 20. Threaded means 48 may be molded into inside surface 50 of annular sidewall 24. Threaded means 48 may be threads as are well known in the art to removably threadably engage the ergonomic cap 10.

Referring to FIG. 6, a second embodiment of the present invention as an ergonomic bottle cap 110 may comprise a fin 112, and a top wall 118. The ergonomic bottle cap 110 further comprises an annular sidewall 120 on top wall 118. Annular sidewall 120 may surroundingly attach to top wall 118.

Referring to FIG. 7, the second embodiment of the present invention as an ergonomic bottle cap 110 may comprise a top wall 118 and annular sidewall 120 integrally molded wherein top wall 118 is surroundingly attached to annular sidewall 120. Ergonomic bottle cap 110 may further comprise a fin 112, a first tab 114, a second tab 116 integrally molded together wherein the fin 112, first tab 114 and second tab 116 form a U-shaped appendage 142 on ergonomic bottle cap 110. The annular sidewall 120 may further comprise a bottom 122 and a top 124. First tab 114 is integrally molded to fin 112 and annular sidewall 120. First tab 114 may have first bottom end 126 disposed adjacent sidewall bottom 122 and a first top end 132 on top wall 118. Second tab 116 may have second bottom end 128 disposed adjacent sidewall bottom 122. First bottom end 126 is spaced from second bottom end 128.

Referring to FIG. 8, the U-shaped appendage 142 surrounds the annular sidewall 120 having first tab 114 spaced from second tab 116. the fin 112 integrally molded to the top wall 118. The first bottom end 126 and second bottom mend 128 may be disposed between the top wall 118 and sidewall bottom 122.

Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. Further, the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that other forms, details, and embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined in the following claims. 

We claim:
 1. An ergonomic bottle cap, the ergonomic bottle cap comprising: a top wall; an annular side wall comprising a side wall top, a side wall bottom, an exterior side and an interior side, said interior side integrally connected with said top wall, said top wall on interior side adjacent side wall top; and an integral fin integrally formed on said top wall, said integral fin comprising a first fin end and a second fin end, said first fin end on said side wall top, said second fin end spaced from said first fin end wherein integral fin extends across said top wall.
 2. The ergonomic bottle cap of claim 1, wherein said top wall further comprises a diameter, said fin disposed approximately on said diameter, said second fin end on said side wall.
 3. The ergonomic bottle cap of claim 2, wherein said fin further comprises a first tab on said exterior side, said first tab having a first top end and a first bottom end, said first top end on said first fin end, said first bottom end adjacent said side wall bottom wherein said first tab extends along said annular sidewall substantially perpendicular to said fin.
 4. The ergonomic bottle cap of claim 3, wherein said fin further comprises a second tab on said exterior side, said second tab having a second top end and a second bottom end, said second top end on second fin end, said second bottom end adjacent said side wall bottom, said second tab is spaced from said first tab wherein said second tab extends along said annular sidewall substantially parallel to said first tab.
 5. The ergonomic bottle cap of claim 4, wherein said interior side further comprising thread means formed thereon.
 6. The ergonomic bottle cap of claim 1, further comprising a cap logo on said top wall, said logo positioned adjacent to and aligned with said fin.
 7. (canceled)
 8. The ergonomic bottle cap of claim 4, wherein said fin, first tab and second tab are integrally molded on said ergonomic bottle cap.
 9. An ergonomic bottle cap for removable attachment to a bottle, the ergonomic bottle cap comprising: a top wall, said top wall having a diameter, a top side and a bottom side; an annular side wall comprising a side wall top, a side wall bottom, an exterior side and an interior side, said annular side wall top surroundingly attached to said top wall; an integral fin formed on said top wall, said integral fin comprising a bottom on said top side and a top spaced from said top side; a first tab, said first tab having a first top end and a first bottom end, said first tab on annular side wall, said first top end on said integral fin, said first bottom end adjacent said side wall bottom; and a second tab, said second tab having a second top end and a second bottom end, said second tab on said annular side wall, said second tab spaced from said first tab, the second tab generally parallel to said first tab, said second top end on said integral fin adjacent said top wall, said second bottom end adjacent to said side wall bottom, wherein said fin is integrally molded with said top wall, annular sidewall, first tab and second tab to form a U-shaped appendage across top wall and extending along said annular side wall in two spaced apart locations.
 10. An ergonomic bottle cap having an annular body closed on one end, said annular body having a top and an annular sidewall, said annular sidewall suroundingly attached to said top, a U-shaped appendage on said annular body, said U-shaped appendage on said top, said U-shaped appendage extending from top along said annular sidewall in two spaced apart positions.
 11. The ergonomic bottle cap of claim 10 wherein the U-shaped appendage is intgegrally molded to the annular body. 